A happy (belated) feast of St. Cecilia to the friends of the Catholic institute of Sacred Music!
Here at CISM we celebrated with a Mass offered by Archbishop Cordileone here at the Seminary that was part of our first “Jornada de Estudio de Música Sacra” (Sacred Music Study Day in Spanish). We welcomed 225 participants and nearly 400 Mass attendees from as far away as Santa Rosa, CA down to Bakersfield, CA.
The archbishop offered a beautiful reflection on the nature of sacred music as fitting for the nuptial feast of the Lamb of God. Participants learned a Gregorian ordinary (Mass XII), a few new hymns in Spanish, and the congregational responses in the Misal Romano with Fernando Gil and Christian Cortés. A professional choir aided the singers by supplying Gregorian and Spanish-language proper chants and some polyphony, alongside wonderful accompaniments and improvisations by CISM professor Christoph Berry. They heard a talk about the nature of sacred music and active participation by CISM director Dr. Jennifer Donelson-Nowicka, and attended an extensive session on vocal technique by CISM professor Sandra Bengochea.
Thanks to all who came to our first-ever Sacred Music Study Day entirely in Spanish! We are especially grateful to parish-level coordinators who worked to bring their choir members to the event.
Many thanks also to Fr. Emmanuel Gutierrez for his work in bringing pilgrims from St. Anthony’s in Redwood City, Mrs. Martha Sheridan and Sr. Mary Vianney for their assistance with day’s logistics, and to our donors who made the day possible.
We look forward to more Spanish-language events in the future!